Leaving On A Jet Plane….

And I don’t know when I will be back again…. 

I seriously love that song. Of course my type A personality means I DID know when I would be back, but still the sentiment and excitement of travel was very definitively present.

Sunday morning, my partner in crime, fellow jet setter and blonde fashionista and I got up before it should be legal, to cab it over to JFK.

What started as a whimsical dream in a country coffee shop, spending months planning, waiting, wondering, and the painful, but patient anticipation, our long awaited Cali trip was here! Of course it didn’t feel like it was time. The warm weather had disappeared two days before, while we didn’t want to lug our heavy jackets (I had been hoping to travel in flip flops!) unfortunately, we were freezing our derrières off in our lighter jackets.

We arrived at JFK with plenty of time to appease my type A personality and grabbed a quick bite to eat at Piazza Breakfast in Terminal Five before heading over to our gate.

My friend and I are two peas in a pod. It is so refreshing to find someone who is confident in their own skin, free of judgement, and further more, enables your copious drinking coffee habits, photo taking, wanderlusting ways. She is also the sweetest, kindest person I know.

She also takes WAY better selfies then I do!

Case in point^^^

After taking about a hundred pictures pre-boarding, we hopped on a plane for our six hour flight across the country. I think I am accustomed to flying (finally!) because I wasn’t nervous at all! We had a little bit of turbulence, but it was not bad. In fact the worst part was coming into San Francisco because of the dense cloud coverage. Even the rockiness couldn’t stop my excitement!

Seeing the rolling green hills and short colorful buildings was heaven! I had been dreaming about it for months…Actually years since I was last here and it was everything I remembered and so much more!

It was a bit chillier then I expected but thanks to the sudden pop up of the polar vortex back in New York, it was a downright heatwave!

If you saw a girl rocking short sleeves and flip-flops she was probably from the East Coast. And it was probably me.

My aunt met us at San Francisco International Airport. After grabbing our luggage we made our way back to North Beach on Bart. I love taking public transit in a city. You get the lay of the land and feel for the culture, much more then if you just cab it everywhere.

Seriously, I was oohing and ahhing at everything! My aunt had a friend who was visiting family and generously allowed us the use of her place.

I felt like a queen! The building was gorgeous, showcasing the Victorian architecture that San Francisco is well known for but with an added Spanish flare. It had a beautiful courtyard with a fountain decorated with beautiful flowers and greenery. It was instantly home.

Once my friend and I settled in, we went to my aunts place which was a newly built high-rise with the most adorable doorman. And her view! Her apartment looked out onto the bay and directly at Alcatraz. She had a deck that I could just picture myself sitting there writing, watching the sun set. She was close to Fisherman’s Wharf and what is more, right NEXT to Ghirardelli Square (Yes THAT Ghirardelli).

After having an assortment of wine and cheese, my aunt made us a delicious dinner before we took a walk into the chilly air to explore Fisherman’s Wharf. I had been there six years ago and the sense of deja vu was overpowering as we explored the streets, passing Pier 39 and Anchor Square. Aptly named given its location. It was also imperative to get a picture in the light of day!

We came across a gorgeous carousel that had my name on it, not just for pictures, but also to ride.

Feeling the effects of jet lag, my friend and I made our way back to our apartment only to find we had gone into the wrong entrance….oops. Can’t take us two blondes anywhere! After avoiding arrest and a “killer” dog, we found the right entrance and happily settled in for some snoozes, preparing ourselves for our first full day in the Golden City.